Bank of China Tower

Designing buildings for Bank of China is a family affair for the renowned Pei Partnership Architects. Pritzer Prize-winning architect I.M. Pei designed the company’s first building, in Hong Kong, in 1990 as an homage to his father, the bank’s former manager. Now his sons, Pei Partnership Architects' founding partners Li Chung and Chien Chung Pei, have added the new Bank of China tower in Suzhou to the family’s legacy. Inspired by the building’s unique site in between two canals, their firm’s design includes a 100-meter-tall tower and an adjoining low building that offer occupants beautiful water views.

Lightswitch Architectural designed lighting for the complex’s interiors, exteriors, landscape, banking halls and event auditorium to reveal Pei Partnership Architects’ signature architecture. On the exterior, we added LED lighting to the vertical niches that punctuate the façade to achieve the architects’ desired linear, geometric effect. Inside, we designed creative lighting solutions for public and private areas, including the lobby, where concealed cove lighting reveals the precise line of the coffered ceilings. We also conducted extensive daylighting and light level studies to ensure that we achieved the proper illuminance levels in spaces lit by natural and artificial light sources.

Our extensive experience in the U.S. and Asia enabled us to effectively communicate with both the New York City-based architects and the Chinese design and construction teams to ensure that the lighting was executed as intended. The project also marked the beginning of another successful relationship—Lightswitch Architectural is continuing to partner with Pei Partnership Architects on other projects in the region.